Missouri side leaders lament loss of AMC

Kansas City leaders say they fought hard to convince AMC to stay downtown.

KSHB

The mayor and local businesses made offers to try to keep AMC downtown, but money didn't stack up.

KSHB

KSHB

Copyright 2011 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri - Kansas City leaders say they fought hard to convince AMC to stay downtown, and the loss of a world headquarters and hundreds of jobs is disappointing.

KCMO Mayor Sly James revealed some of the ways City Hall and local businesses tried to sweeten the pot as they courted AMC executives.

James said the city offered to help with tax breaks or financing for a total renovation of the company's existing headquarters building at 10th and Main.

The mayor said that offer made AMC's final three, and included some free supplies and labor that would be donated by businesses.

But it wasn't enough to beat the big Kansas money.

"The sums that they were offered to move to Kansas were amounts that we simply could not match," said James.

"For them to move out of downtown and to one of the suburban areas of Kansas is quite a blow," added KCMO City Councilman Ed Ford, who is chairman of the council committee that deals with economic development.

Ironically, about the same time Wednesday after that AMC was confirming its move, the Missouri Senate passed job retention incentives that would help Kansas City's border war.

Local officials believe AMC held off making a decision in hopes Missouri would act sooner, but finally had to pull the trigger.

Kansas City, Mo., will lose a lot of E-tax revenue with the move, but those employees who still live in the city limits will still pay the E-tax, despite going to work in Kansas, so it's not a total loss for the city's budget.

Copyright 2011 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.